Room 183
by Macahol84
Summary: AU: She had never done this before... Not a Vice fic
1. Chapter 1

Kate looked down at her phone as she left the precinct.

_When are you coming home? _The text message read.

Shaking her head she pocketed the device. She couldn't have it going off where she was going. She glanced around the street as she walked towards her car. When she was positive no one was following her, she dropped into the driver's seat and brought the car to life.

The hotel was just outside of town. It would be a twenty minute ride with the light traffic. Glancing in her mirror she shook off the feeling of being followed. It was impossible for anyone to know what she was about to do. Rick had been in meetings with his publisher all day. Both Ryan and Esposito had left early and Lanie, well she could only imagine what she was doing since Esposito left early.

Finally a sign for The Holiday Inn illuminated the sky as she pulled into the parking lot. Kate took the first parking spot she saw as her cell phone began to ring.

"Beckett."

"Room 183," the male voice responded before the line went dead. She made her way across the parking lot taking a deep breath as she approached the front door. The lobby of the hotel was empty except for an older woman who was standing behind the desk. The woman didn't say anything as Kate walked by. Her only sign of communication was a slight head nod as if to ask about her luggage. Kate merely shrugged and walked to the elevator.

As the elevator doors slid shut, Kate got glimpse of her reflection in the mirrored panels. Quickly she tried to bring her hair back to life as she unbuttoned the top two buttons on her blouse. This was not how he wanted her to look.

The ding signaling her arrival caused her to jump. Walking out of the elevator she read the sign on the wall and turned down the correct hallway. Years of being a detective and now was when her nerves began to show. With a trembling hand she knocked on the door of room 183. The door swung open almost immediately revealing his face to her.


	2. Chapter 2

"Hey," She greeted weakly.

"Hey yourself," He grinned before pulling her into his arms and kicking the door shut behind her. The hard wood against her back paled in comparison to the softness of his lips.

'_How did it ever come to this?' _She thought as she lost herself in his kiss.

_Beckett stood at the murder board removing the evidence from their latest case. Carefully placing the pictures in the box along side the physical evidence obtained at the crime scene. Her desk phone rang and for the first time Kate dreaded who would be on the other end of the call._

_"Beckett."_

_"Kate you can't just hang up on me and turn your phone off," Rick's voice came through the earpiece. "What if something happened to the kids and I needed to reach you?"_

_"You seemed to have reached me just fine through my desk phone."_

_"But what if you were out in the field or away from your desk?" Rick countered._

_"I'm not in the field and I told you before that I was wrapping up a case." Kate let out a sigh. She just wanted to finish this paperwork so she could enjoy the weekend. It was her team's weekend off and these forms were the only thing preventing her from relaxing._

_"How much longer?" He questioned. There was something else in his tone that sounded a lot like disdain._

_"Do you have a problem with my work schedule?" Kate snapped. She thought they had worked all this out before. No staying after 2am once they were official. No staying after eleven once they were married. Try and be home by five o'clock-six o'clock the latest-once their first child was born. Occasionally she would have to stay late when they were wrapping up a case or filing paper work but she always called when she knew that was going to happen._

_"Only when you send everyone home early yet you stay late."_

_Kate lifted her chin. "How do you know the boys aren't here with me too?"_

_"Please Kate," Rick scoffed. "I'm not there anymore and even I know that this was the weekend that Ryan was taking Jenny away and Esposito is celebrating his anniversary with his mystery woman, who we all know is Lanie."_

_"I should be done in a half hour. A hour the absolute latest."_

_Silence was the response she received. She almost hung up the phone when she heard. "Is someone there with you?" _

_"Is someone what?" Kate couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Where is this coming from?"_

_"I'm just asking. I remember how some of those robbery detectives looked," he let the statement trail off. _

_"Rick that was years ago! Before we were even together!" Kate yelled grateful that the bull pen was indeed empty. "Do you think after everything we've been through that I would do something like that. Ruin our marriage and destroy our family?"_

_"It was just a simple question. I don't know why you are getting so defensive," His reply was cool almost indifferent._

_"So defen-oh," Kate huffed as her anger climbed. Her mouth clamped to a thin line as she shook her head. __With a swift move Kate slammed the phone back into its cradle ignoring her husband's protests. __Grabbing her cellphone she powered it back to life a sent a quick message._

_'I need to see you tonight. Meet at the room?'_

_The responding message answered almost immediately. 'Absolutely'_

Kate was brought back to the present when she felt her blouse open. His lips moved down her neck and paused at her pulse point. He lavished the small area as Kate arched into his touch.

"Where are the kids?" He asked. He seriously wanted to talk now?

"They uh-they're at-oh," Kate could barely formulate a sentence when he was near. She could feel him laughing against her skin. "Oh shut up. They are with my dad."

"And your husband?" He leaned back grinning.

"Who cares?" Kate smiled pulling him in for another kiss.


	3. Chapter 3

Before the kiss could deepen, he pulled back.

"Wait here!" He instructed before moving around the room in a blur. Kate followed him with her eyes as he closed the curtains over the window casing the room in darkness. In a flash he grabbed something from the desk and moved to the hotel door. Glancing over his shoulder he gave her a wicked smile.

"Do not disturb," he held the little sign up before opening the door and swinging it on the handle. He walked back to her and letting the door close itself. Kate jumped slightly when the slam of the door sliding into place resounded in the small room. "Now it will only be us."

"For how long?" Kate questioned. She knew these stolen moments were usually as fast as they were rare.

"Well considering how long it's been since the last time," he let his voice trail as he gathered her in his arms. "I rented the room for two nights."

"Oh, 48 hours," Kate purred. "Just long enough for me to be missing before it can be reported to the authorities."

"I love when you talk like that," he growled before claiming her lips.

* * *

'_Something wasn't right_,' he thought as he followed her cruiser away from the precinct. The loft was in the opposite direction of that in which she was heading. He kept a reasonable distant between their vehicles. If she hadn't noticed him outside of the precinct, he'd be damned to let her notice him as he trailed her.

It might be nothing. Something as simple as taking a longer route home to clear her head. He couldn't deny that she hasn't be herself for a few weeks now. He tried to give her the time and space she deserved but there was only so much he could give with her continuously taking. Focusing back on the task at hand he realized they were about to cross the Brooklyn Bridge. Clearing her head shouldn't require leaving the city.

'_Maybe she's getting a suspect?_' The thought entered his mind. He dismissed it almost immediately. There were no open cases. She had said so herself. He almost swerved off of the road when he saw her pull into the parking lot of the hotel. That was definitely not clearing her head.

* * *

He took her hand in his and led her to the king sized bed where there was a box of chocolate arranged with the pillows. Kate watched him intently. Their time together was limited. He dropped her hand to move the box and pull the comforter back. She smiled wickedly at him. They both had the same thought. Together they shut off the lights and climbed into bed.

* * *

He sat in his car and waited. Maybe she needed to drop something off and would be out in a few minutes. That theory was ruined when the sun had set and the lobby of the hotel became illuminated revealing an empty room. There wasn't even a person behind the welcome desk. Now would be his chance to sneak in.

'_And do what?_' He thought looking at the exterior of the building. There had to be at least eight floors to this hotel. It would be almost impossible for him to find her once inside but had to try. Leaving his car parked in the last row, he rushed across the parking lot and slipped inside.

There was a television playing a syndicated movie to the still empty lobby. He pulled out his wallet and retrieved a random credit card as he walked to the elevators. Might as well make it look like he had a room here. He slipped his wallet back into his jacket as the doors slid open. The panel displayed eight floors and a basement.

'_Top or bottom?_' He thought with a rueful sigh. It didn't matter so long as he found her. He'd look all night if he had to. He didn't wait over four years for them to get together just to give up. He'd do whatever it took to give them a fighting chance. Pushing the button for the eighth floor, he awaited his ascent marking the start of a long night.

* * *

Kate awoke a few hours later with an arm draped across her stomach. She smiled and snuggled into his embraced. His grumbled voice washed over her setting off the butterflies in her stomach. It had been so long since she had felt that feeling.

"Good morning beautiful."

"Morning," Kate mumbled with a yawn as she turned in his arms. It felt so good to wake up on their own without the use of an alarm to bring them back to reality.

"I've missed you," he whispered before claiming her lips in a sweet kiss.

"I've missed you too. I wish that we could do this more often," Kate sighed. He watched silently as her thoughts took over her mind turning his once vibrant lover into an introspective adult.

"Hey you know what else this room has," he interrupted her thoughts. "A Jacuzzi tub. We could soak for a little while, order some room service."

Kate smiled as she threw the comforter of them giving him a quick peck. "I like that idea."

* * *

Seven and a half hours. He had been searching this damn hotel for seven and a half hours. He didn't even know what signs he was searching for anymore. The elevator doors slid open to the final floor. There were only a few rooms on this were oddly number but he didn't care. This was his last hope. Rooms 122-146 were to the left, with rooms 161-190 to the right. Moving down the hallway he continued with his the same pattern he'd been using all night.

Walking down the hallway he glanced at each door looking for something that was out of the ordinary. He was about to turn down the other hallway when one door registered in his mind. Turning around he stared at room 183. Eight floors of hotel rooms and that was the only door that displayed a 'do not disturb' sign. Raising his hand he knocked three times and waited.


	4. Chapter 4

He could hear movement on the other side of the door. Years of working with New York's finest had taught he the best place to be when approaching a mysterious door was on the side of the door jam. So that's exactly where he positioned himself as he waited for the door to swung open.

* * *

Kate emerged from the bathroom in a plush terry cloth robe. Shuffling through the hotel room she found him on the small love seat looking over the room service menu. He looked so relaxed in his robe with his feet propped up on coffee table.

"Are you hungry?" he asked turning the menu so she could read it too.

"Yeah," she said huskily as she sank onto the couch next to him.

"I meant for food." He couldn't help the laugh that escaped him. Kate easily joined his laughter as she glanced over at the menu.

"Get whatever you want. I'll be happy with just coffee."

"Are you sure?" Concern crossed his face so quickly she would have missed had she not been watching him.

"Positive. Breakfast has always been your thing. Besides lunch will be coming," she laughed. It amazed her how much breakfast was a mandatory thing for him. "Just don't forget to order me coffee."

He picked up the phone to place his order. She got up and walked over to the desk in the corner listening intently to make sure he remembered her request of coffee. A smile crossed her face when her order was spoken before his. This man was an enigma but one definitely worth figuring out. She looked at him at the sound of the hand set returning to its dock.

"How long will they be?"

He shrugged. "The gentleman on the phone said twenty minutes so I'm guessing it will be about a half hour."

"And what do you want to do for that half hour?"

He walked over to the mini refrigerator and opened the door."Well I happen to have a bottle of wine chilling in here," he let his voice trail off with the suggestion.

"Wine before breakfast? I like the way you think." Kate grabbed the two wine glasses that had been sitting on the desk as he popped the cork on the bottle of wine when a series of knocks echoed in the room.

They both pause and stared at each other. It couldn't be the room service already, could it? Kate put the glasses back down and walked over to the door with him following behind her. Before she could open the door he ducked behind wall corner where the bathroom had stuck out into the room and waited for her to make eye contact with him. Forever a cop, on her count of three she opened the door and stayed hidden behind it. The door swung open to reveal an empty doorway. Surprised Kate moved from her position to see if there was anyone in the hallway at all when suddenly a body moved into the doorway. Kate abruptly stopped as she stared at the man in front of her.

"What are _you_ doing here?" The question flew from her mouth in a rush of panic.

He stepped into the room closing the door behind him. "I should be asking you the same thing? What happened to going home last night?" Kate stumbled backwards as she racked her brain for an answer. "Just tell me this Kate, who is he?"

Kate froze now utterly confused. "What?"

"The guy you've been sneaking around with. Who is he?" He asked a little bit louder this time. "Is he here now?"

By now Kate was almost to the middle of the room. Time to regain some ground. "why do you think there is someone else?"

"Please," he scoffed. "I can read the signs. You've been withdrawn for weeks now and you've been staying later at work. If you're not having an affair then you're avoiding something."

"I am not avoiding," Kate stated matter-of-factly.

"So you admit that you are having an affair," he pressed.

"I never said that." Kate was taken back when did he become so good at interrogations.

He just shook his head. "You didn't have to. It's written all over you face."

"Don't you think you're being a little ridiculous?" Came a voice from behind him. "If she said she's not having an affair, she's not. How long have you known her now? Shouldn't you believe her?"

He spun around and his jaw hit the floor. "What are _you_ doing here?"

He watched as Kate walked over to him now visibly more relaxed. He just couldn't believe what he was seeing. His two best friends had been-and behind his back? He just couldn't wrap his mind around it.

Kate's laughter broke through the silence first. "You can pick you jaw up Javier."

"Wouldn't want you to catch any flies," Rick's laughter joined her's.

"But-but I heard you fighting," Esposito stammered.

Kate wound her arm around Rick's waist while he looped an arm across her shoulders. "When haven't we fought?" Kate laughed with a quirked eyebrow.

Esposito moved to the desk and slumped down in the chair. He was silent for a few minutes. Kate and Rick took this opportunity to move to the love seat again. Finally Esposito broke his silence. "So you're having an affair with your husband?"

Rick and Kate looked at each other debating their answer. "I guess you could say that," Rick shrugged.

"But why?"

Kate leaned forward. "Esposito just listen for a moment, will you?"

The room went quiet except for the sound of the vent circulating the air and their own breathing. "I don't hear anything."

"Exactly," Kate chuckled. "There's nothing going on here. No cases to solve."

"No deadlines to meet," Rick added.

"No captain's tests to study for."

"No homework to be checked."

"No waking up in the middle of the night to a child crying."

"No diapers to change."

"It's just us," Kate smiled threading her finger through Rick's. "As much as we love our family, sometimes we just need a break from it all to get back to what really matters."

"So we don't lose each other along the way."

Kate turned back to her friend. "So what are you doing here anyway?"


	5. Chapter 5

"I'm here because," Esposito looked between his two friends. They looked so relaxed and well rested. Nothing like the people he saw the previous weekend, exhausted and wiped out.

Kate and Rick remained silent as they thought back over the last few weeks. There was a normal homicide case that transformed into multiple homicides. The leads all seemed to be dead ends with very little evidence to go on. Gina spent a large amount of that time urging Rick to finish his next installment of the Nikki Heat series, a book he was already late on delivering.

Esposito cleared his throat. "I didn't want to look back one day and wonder if there was something I could've done to help. We're friends. I saw the signs of a relationship being strained."

Esposito looked between his two friends as they looked at each other.

"Rick," the man in question turned to look at Javier. "You haven't been around the precinct during the day like you used to be. And Kate, you've been staying at work later and when we talk, it's only been about work." Javier let out assign as he shook his head.

"Then the other night when I was walking back to the bull pen, I heard you two fighting. I know you said you've always fought but this time it was different. You guys were serious. I told Lanie about it but she said I should just let it go."

"You should've listened to her," Kate quipped.

"Maybe I should have but then I wouldn't have been a good friend," Esposito smirked. "Which brings me to this awkward experience with you."

"Aw don't worry Javier, you're not _that_ awkward," Rick grinned while Kate held back her laughter.

"Anyway," Esposito said as he stood up. "If you ever need anything, help with the kids or a shift covered, let me know. I don't want to see you guys end up separating over something I could've helped with."

Kate stood up and walked over to the man who had become a brother to her. "Thank you Javi," she whispered as she gave him a hug. Rick was right behind her ready to give Esposito a handshake.

"Thank you, we'll definitely keep your offer in mind."

"Don't mention man," Esposito nodded for the first time taking in that his two friends were dressed in nothing more than bathrobes. "Seriously, let's never mention this encounter again."

* * *

_A/N: I'm not going to lie and tell you my life got crazy busy. In honest truth, I really didn't have a reason for Esposito to be following Kate except for that it was something I could see him doing. Between Ryan and himself, I can see Javier physically looking out for his friends whereas Ryan would be emotionally looking out for them. Anyway, I'm sorry for the long break in between chapters. _


End file.
